Ten minute tea with Afternoon Tea. Spend ten minutes with Afternoon Tea. In the time it takes to boil one kettle, and let one cup of tea steep, we will have your daily art + music fix covered. Take your afternoon tea break with our Afternoon Tea curators.
Today’s tea + soundtrack + visuals curated by Ekelle.
Click here for more info on Ekelle, photos + social media links.
Toronto’s Ekelle rhymes about what she knows best: her real-life experience! Money, sex, drama, and identity stir together to create a style she calls Hood Pop – popular music with a street edge.
“Your baddies are your real ones, hustlers who get shit done and keep it moving,” Ekelle says about her aptly titled new single “Baddie,” which is “perfect for pre-gaming with your girls or driving around on a sunny day.”
Stream + share “Baddie” now:
Currently, Ekelle is an artist in the RBC Launchpad Music Entrepreneurship Program, guided by her instincts and a passion for music, pop culture and fashion. In 2022, Ekelle dropped her first album, Let’s Get It, landing song features on the video game Boogie, TV show Hudson & Rex and the Stanley Cup Finals.
Coffee gets me going for the day, but when I have the time to be leisurely and lounge around I like to have a few cups of tea. I love teas that are rich and sweet for fun, sometimes with a little Bailey’s or rum and some Silk for Coffee. If I’m not feeling well I’ll have a clear, herbal tea plain, well maybe with a little honey. No matter what tea I have I like it to be a strong cup so I always like to keep the bag in. For absolutely no reason I also like to keep the spoon in the mug. I guess I just have my ways about me.
I picked out a spicy chai tea because some would say I’m a spicy woman and I think this tea suits me well. I had the fortune of tasting real Chai in India and it was really something to behold. I’m having Cha’s Organic Masala Chai Tea, well steeped with Silk for Coffee of course, and a bit of almond milk and some brown sugar. It’s nothing like the tea in India but a different kind of good. I think tea is great for relaxing any time of day, especially with a good read. Something about the culture of tea is slower than that of coffee. As I sip my hot tea I notice a change in the weather, hot girl summer is over. Now it’s time for fierce fall fashions! I chose to pair my masala chai with the September/October 2023 issue of Essence Magazine.
The Fashion Issue features Keke Palmer and her stylist, fashion designer, Sergio Hudson on the cover. Perfect! One of my favourite parts of being an artist is creating my own looks and concepts for photo shoots and videos. Keke is stunning in her shoot, confident, and of course rocking some gorgeous fits. Recently she came into the news when her then? Current? Boyfriend/father of her child couldn’t stand to see her having a good time at an Usher concert. She wore an amazing, black dress and danced with the singer. The boyfriend publicly commented “It’s the outfit tho.. you a mom.” on socials dragging her for having fun. Keke responded like a classy baddie and reinforced her having a great time, unbothered. She even added fuel to the fire by appearing in a video with Usher soon after. Can’t a woman just live? There’s always something to be said about what we do. The real ones carry on and do what’s best for them, leaving the haters and the negativity behind. I bet Keke Palmer likes masala chai too.
Song: Booty (feat. Latto)
I picked this song because it definitely gives listeners confidence and a feel-good energy and boss vibes. The hook samples ‘Crazy in Love’ by Beyoncé which I think is the perfect vibe for a runway stomp. This song has a way of blending the era of Beyoncé’s first album with how music is evolving and changing today. It’s an apologetic tune that encapsulates what’s going on today in hip hop culture, queer culture and in fashion. I think it’s a fun song to enjoy with a cup of tea or when you’re getting your fall fit together.
Tea + Me 